


Somewhere.

by llAngell



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:13:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25960390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/llAngell/pseuds/llAngell
Summary: I wasn't anything special,my life certainly wasn't -I was just your average girl, enjoying life to its fullest..Until I wasn't.At the age of twelve, I was diagnosed with terminal cancer.And by the time I was thirteen..I was already dead.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, only my character Hoshiki Mana.
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

I had no idea how long I had been there, wrapped head to toe in darkness but while a part of me was curious, the bigger part just didn't care - my mind was a blank.

It.. was as if nothing really mattered anymore and maybe that was cruel of me,

she who once understood what it felt like to love another person,

but now this vacuum swallowed me..

And I embraced it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The world was a blur, one second I was there - wherever - the next I found myself materializing in front of a young boy.

Sitting upright in a hospital bed, clad in a dark blue high-collared shirt he stared: black eyes unseeing within the dark of the room but I found myself curious as his form suddenly became rigid, as if he were about ready to pounce,

and perhaps he was - as his dark eyes gained a murderous spark to them.. and then he spoke.

"Brother? No, no!" Shaking his head viciously, he let out a hiss. "I have no brother, you.. who are you?"

I froze, certain he couldn't see me and even if he could, I was merely air; he could not touch me but that did not stop the phantom goosebumps from standing up on my ghostly flesh.

Hesitating, I decided on a rather timid approach; clearing my throat I kept a watchful eye of his tense form and noticed the slight hitch in his breathing.

"H-hello," Came my airy voice, with the intent not to sound intimidating. "My name is Hoshiki Mana," and with that, a slight smile graced my lips. "May I know your name..?"

The boy hesitated for a fraction of a second before he allowed his weary shoulders to ease a little despite the suspicion clear in his haunted eyes.

"Sasuke," he said, his voice being the calm before a storm as a shadow crossed his face. "Uchiha Sasuke."


	2. Promise.

By the next day, Sasuke had yet to ease up in my presence and he did not talk any more than neccessary and I suspected he wouldn't at all if he could help it -

but he was curious, and suspicious and he had questions.

"Why are you here?" He demanded, distrust heavy in his voice.

Hand on hip, I leveled him with an impassive stare deciding to drop the timid act, knowing full well he couldn't be fooled.

"I don't know." I said gruffly, debating on whether to take offence to his suspicions;

it wasn't as if I wanted to accompany a traumatized boy who was more bark than he was bite but now that I was, all I could see in his place was a petite girl with strawberry blonde hair and ashen skin, weariness set deep within her bones.

The nurses came and went, pity emanating off of them in powerful waves until eventually we were left to talk without interruptions.. or so I thought.

Just as I was about to continue, an old man walked in sporting a kind wrinkly face visible beneath his hat while his short figure was clad in a red kimono.

"I thought I'd pay you a visit, Sasuke-kun," spoke the old man, keeping his voice gentle. "I am glad to see that you are awake."

"Hokage-sama," addressed Sasuke, voice rigid with apprehension. "H-he.. mother.. father.. he..!"

Suddenly, Sasuke bent over with his arms wrapped around himself, tremors racked his entire body but his eyes.. they were filled with such hate I froze mid step and abandoned all thought of comforting him.

The old man - Hokage-sama - sighed heavily, a sigh that had dealt with many situations such as this and dreads the next to come, he calmly walked toward Sasuke and lay his hand upon his shoulder.

"My condolences, Sasuke-kun. Itachi-" before he could continue, Sasuke sent him a sharp look at the mention of that Itachi. "Ahem.. we will do everything in our power to find him but you will need to be patient. For now, I have come to talk to you about your living arrangements."

Sasuke visibly wilted at that,

"I don't want to go back to the compound." He said adamantly.

"Very well, you can always go back to the compound should you choose to. For now, I will find an apartment for you to reside.. also, I do hope you will be patient and not act rashly. Please do get some rest now." And with that, the old man left.. the door closing behind him with a click that sounded far too loud in the now silent room.

Sasuke clenched his fist so tightly, I could see the veins in his pale skin.

"I will kill him." He said, a voice that shook with uncontrollable rage. "I will kill Itachi.. and avenge my clan."

I shifted from one foot to the other, uncomfortable with this shift. I glanced at Sasuke and decided to risk it it.

"This.. this Itachi.. is he your brother?"

Sasuke stared at me, I couldn't read the expression on his face as he then looked down at his clenched hands.

"Itachi.. is no longer my brother. I will kill him." His breath hitched. "Mother.. f-father.." 

"Then, I'll stay by your side so when the day comes, you can count on me to be there!"

"You'll just be in my way." He said flatly and I deflated,

"I'm a lot more useful than you think." I grumbled, throwing a punch at his shoulder but in a split second, he caught my hand in his and tightened his grip until I wrenched my reddened hand free.

I had thought he couldn't touch me, but it appeared that there was more mystery at play than I thought.

"Don't get in the way," he growled. "This is between me and Itachi."

"Maybe.. what I do know is that I can help you to get there." I spoke firmly as I held his gaze. "I can promise to help you to get stronger, and I can listen in on what is being said about Itachi! I'm a ghost, remember?" I beamed brightly, thumping my fist against my chest.

He just stared at me, godsmacked until he dropped his head, relenting in the face of my determination.

That was the day I decided to follow him, so I could see to the day that he abandons the hatred that had shut the door to his heart.


	3. Konoha.

The moment we left the hospital, I looked to my left at the boy who stood there; a full head shorter than me, and I mused at the emergence of this new person, wearing his face but emitting a cold, unforgiving air.

Gone was the boy who had lost his parents at the hands of his beloved older brother, in his place stood a man ready to kill, driven by a vengeance so strong you wouldn't have thought he was only seven years old, adorned by chubby cheeks and big eyes.

We stopped at Sasuke's clan compound and I just fell back slightly, allowing him a moment to himself as he walked the streets that once carried the feet of laughing children and hurried people.

' _This is not my place, I'm an intruder_.'

I halted mid step at the sudden thought, letting the reality sink in that this broken, lonely compound was the result of a massacre, stealing the lives of adults and children alike.

I was a stranger amongst ghosts assassinated in cold blood, and I felt it, the desperation that screamed within the stillness of the ghost town that I intruded upon and I turned back, leaving Sasuke to his memories of a happier place.

' _Konoha_.'

I thought as I wafted through the streets of people wearing peculiar outfits, with a handful sporting green flak jackets.

Shielding my eyes from the sun, I watched people leap from one roof to another and perhaps that should have alarmed me but I found myself accepting of these abnormalities that would continue to surround me in the days to come.

My olive green eyes zeroed in on a large monument that stood tall and wide, overlooking the village. Four faces were carved deeply into the stone, accentuating each detail upon their features.

' _Konoha_.'

I thought again as I passed by a ramen stand, the scents of the broth made my mouth water and I stopped.

' _Ramen Ichiraku_..'

I hopped onto one of the stools alongside a counter and rested my face upon the palms of my hands, watching as a boy with blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes devoured his bowl of ramen, slurping the broth from his bowl.

I giggled at the look of satisfaction that crossed his face, before his stomach chose that moment to argue its dissatisfaction to him, but the man behind the counter just sighed and smiled as he dished up another serving of miso ramen with extra pork and handed it to the clearly malnourished boy who had once again dove into his bowl.

I jumped off of the bar stool and edged in closer to the boy, peering over his shoulder at the mouth watering object of my desire and before I could think about what I was doing I had already dipped my finger into the broth and bit into the noodle trapped between my fingers, my cheeks pinked and my stomach fluttered at the deliciousness of the broth that had seeped into the noodle.

I had not, however taken into account how my actions may affect the boy as he gaped at the vanishing noodle before his very own eyes of azure, he let out a piercing shriek and I slammed my hands against my ears at the alarming volume of his scream.

"G-ghost!" He blubbered, sniffling as tears welled up in his brilliant blue eyes. "A ghost stole my ramen! Teuchi-san!"

The man - Teuchi - simply shook his head in defeat as he looked fondly at the boy.

"A ghost?" He questioned indulgently, "Naruto-kun, if you want another serving, just ask!"

Naruto looked at the spot in the air the noodle had once been, and then back to Teuchi.

"B-but.." he began and then his eyes brightened, "another serving!"

I giggled at his exuberance, finding his personality refreshing.

I bid a silent farewell to the both of them as I continued my walk around the village, at some point the sweet scent of flowers tickled my nose and I traced it back to a store, the sign that hung from the shop spelled out Yamanaka Flowers in bold handwriting.

I peeked inside to see flowers of variety carefully arranged, giving the atmosphere a sweet calm that was rarely found.

Behind a counter stood a man delicately arranging a bunch of flowers into a bouquet, a little girl bobbing up and down on her feet beside him while a customer stood patiently, awaiting her colorful purchase.


	4. Family.

The man wore his long blonde hair tied in a ponytail, and his light green eyes although gentle were calculative as though he had to stay prepared for something unexpected, and as he handed his customer - a petite woman of soft features - her beautifully arranged purchase his eyes glanced to the little girl at his side with fondness softening his features.

The girl looked a lot like him, except her features were sweet and soft in contrast to his strong, and resolute. I smiled gently at the father and daughter pair, envious of a time I once spent with my own father and would never again.

-

_It was summer, and my big brother and I were playing outside. We fought a lot, as we never did have much in common but if there was one thing we could agree on, it was our favourite game. I hid behind a tree, grasping my toy shuriken all the while trying to keep my breathing even as I listened to the rustling of the grass and the gentle whistle of the breeze that ruffled my hair._

_My shorts were muddied and torn, while my shirt ceased being the white that it used to be. My brother was close, I could hear the panting of his breath as he scoured the area for any signs of me but I was small and thin and situated on his blind side so as carefully and quietly as I could, I began to climb the tree I had taken cover behind._

_It was a rather tall tree, especially for my short stature but I was confident in my climbing skills and I wanted to impress my brother._

_Grasping my shuriken between my teeth, I hooked my leg over the highest branch and sat, straddling it. The branch curved high above my brother's head as I balanced myself, taking a shuriken into each hand I aimed and flung._

_The black haired boy gasped at the unexpected attack and whirling around, he readied his kunai and aimed them upward toward me. I twisted my body, preparing to avoid it but a strong breeze probbed against my body, and my balance crumbled._

_I experienced in slow motion, the sensation of falling head first toward the hard earth below. I had no time to breathe, to think or even to scream as I landed awkwardly, head thumping roughly against the ground._

_My brother screamed, eyes wide with horror and I was upset about losing and wanted to tell him I wanted a rematch but the world was going black and before I knew it, everything was gone._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_I awoke to a frantic voice loudly demanding for somebody to get rechecked, but a second voice attempted and failed to reassure the first after the first choked up and continued his demands.._

_"Daddy?" I croaked through a dry throat, desperate for water._

_"Mana!" My father exclaimed, frantically pushing past the doctor to reach my bedside._

_"What..?" I began only to get into a coughing fit before I could finish my sentence._

_However, my father understood my question and wrapped my hands within his but not before handing me a glass of water. I took that second to truly look at him; portly in his appearance, his black hair curled at his ears, blue eyes squinted and his lips never without a smile._

_"You fell. Silly child." He scolded, despite the worry in his eyes. "You had Taiyo and I all worked up, pacing up and down all night long!"_

_Despite the situation, I chuckled a bit knowing my brother was just as frantic as my father._

_Never one to disappoint, my brother then barged into the room; black hair wild and beautiful blue eyes wide and frantic._

_"Mana!" He yelled, concern heavy in his voice._

_And I laughed, because I was loved and it felt great. I hugged my father and murmured a soft thank you to my brother for always looking out for me._

_At some point the doctor had left the room, no doubt exasperated with the two. However, that was alright because my family was there and they brimmed with life.._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I smiled sadly as I exited the store, letting my journey come to an end as I retraced my steps back to the Uchiha compound.

I was rounding a corner when I looked up to a stony face; black eyes devoid of life stared straight back at me, unwaveringly.

"Sasuke." I addressed, surprised; not having expected the sudden appearance of the boy.

"Hn," he said shortly as walked on and I followed close behind.

After a short walk in silence, we came to stand in front of an apartment complex. Nearly tripping over myself as I trailed after him up a flight of stairs we paused at a door, and I waited while he took out a key and twisted it in the keyhole. 

The room was spacious, with a double bed, and a single bedside table. A long drawer occupied one side of the room beneath a wide window, but my gaze quickly sought out the balcony and my happiness soared. 


	5. Academy.

For the next few years, I spent my time getting used to this strange, new world and myself; a ghost who could interact with physical objects, and still possess physical needs. However, there was nothing but my own case to learn from. 

I also helped Sasuke around a bit, if only to ease the strain that he'd placed on himself; whether it be listening in to top secrets involving Itachi's whereabouts - to no avail or learning the ninja arts, in hopes that I could aid him. I worked on my fitness; running laps and pulling weights until I returned to Sasuke's apartment, feeling as if I could die a second time. I worked on my throwing; tossing kunai at the centre of a tree until my arms fell limp. However, I would always go about the next day completely refreshed; every wound or muscle pain I'd ever gotten during training would disappear within twenty-four hours.

I sighed, lounging on a chair on the balcony as I sipped on a cup of tea. I remained that way for the next twenty odd minutes, until I had nothing but an empty cup beside me and the sun on my back. The apartment felt strange when it lacked a certain brooding boy, and I bounced on the balls of my feet as I recalled the conversation I had with him earlier in the morning.

-

_I leaned against the wall as I watched Sasuke slip into a pair of sandals, and I had to restrain myself from running my fingers through his hair where it spiked out at the back._

_His attire consisted of his usual high collared navy blue shirt and a pair of white shorts and a part of me had to admit it suited him and as he rose from his crouched position, I came to the realisation that at twelve years old, he now stood slightly taller than me._

_"Don't come." He said, startling me from my blatant staring._

_"And miss out on your graduation?"_

_"People are going to start noticing you." He stated, scowling._

_I froze at that, realizing he was right; I was beginning to change, there had been a few close calls where someone had bumped into me during my leisurely walk around the village and if this was how things were, then I dreaded the time to come when people would see me and if that were to happen, they would eventually realise that I didn't age.. if I wasn't suspected of being a spy and then killed when they saw me, that is._

_I nodded after a while, indicating that I understood._

_He watched me for a bit until he decided it was time to leave, and I stood there staring after his back and wondering when he would leave me behind, once he decided that he didn't need anyone._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I sprung from the chair, sliding on the floor as I sprinted to the door and yanked it open.

' _That's fine, I can deal with everything else later,_ ' 

Sprinting down the street toward the academy, I tuned out the noises of day to day activities and conversing people.

Everything was a blur as I rounded corners and the breeze tousled my hair, whipping it this way and that and as the academy got closer I skidded to a stop in front of the building.

_'But I won't let him leave me behind.'_

_'..no matter what.'_


End file.
